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The timely detection of cancer significantly enhances the effectiveness of treatment. This principle applies universally across various cancer types. A critical aspect of successful cancer treatment involves the personalized assessment of therapeutic benefits and risks and the continuous monitoring of treatment efficacy. Oncologists typically employ a range of methods, including imaging technology and invasive procedures like tissue biopsies, punctures, and endoscopies, to achieve this.
Advancements in Liquid Biopsy Technology
Researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) and the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) have developed an advanced liquid biopsy method, providing a less invasive alternative by analyzing blood samples instead of tissues or organs. This technique sequences and examines DNA fragments circulating in the bloodstream of patients. “Our method can be used in the future for risk assessments, treatment monitoring during follow-up care, and early detection of cancer recurrence, in principle for all types of tumors,” says Zsolt Balázs, co-first author of the study at the UZH Department of Quantitative Biomedicine.
By utilizing blood samples, this method circumvents the invasiveness associated with traditional tissue biopsies. The practicality of blood sampling simplifies hospital operations, reducing the need for numerous diagnostic interventions and minimizing patient wait times.
Personalized Treatment Approaches
The liquid biopsy method enhances the precision of determining tumor activity and spread, enabling the development of personalized therapies for patients. “We can see earlier and more quickly how much the cancer has spread in the body and how well a patient is responding to a specific treatment, or whether there will be a relapse,” Balázs adds.
In laboratory settings, researchers analyzed circulating gene fragments for DNA changes characteristic of specific cancers, focusing on alterations in fragment number and length distribution. “The liquid biopsy technique enables us to discriminate between biologically less and more aggressive metastatic cancer disease—perhaps even earlier than using imaging technology,” says co-first author Panagiotis Balermpas, a professor at the Department of Radiation Oncology at USZ.
Enhancing Patient Quality of Life
The method was tested on patients undergoing radiotherapy, including several HPV-positive patients. HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a known cancer-causing agent. Researchers observed tumor development by measuring HPV DNA fragment concentrations in the blood. For head and neck cancers, higher concentrations of HPV DNA indicated early signs of recurrence, suggesting a potential role for immunotherapy in such cases.
“The more a tumor metastasizes, the poorer the patient’s quality of life. This also applies to local recurrences that aren’t detected early. It is key that we individualize treatment as far as possible, taking into account the potential benefits of all therapies as well as their influence on the patient’s quality of life,” concludes Balermpas, who oversaw the treatment of patients with head and neck tumors in the study.
Original Publication
Longitudinal cell-free DNA characterization by low-coverage whole-genome sequencing in patients undergoing high-dose radiotherapy. Balázs, Zsolt et al. Radiotherapy and Oncology, Volume 197, 110364
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2024.110364
Advancements in Liquid Biopsy Technology
Researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) and the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) have developed an advanced liquid biopsy method, providing a less invasive alternative by analyzing blood samples instead of tissues or organs. This technique sequences and examines DNA fragments circulating in the bloodstream of patients. “Our method can be used in the future for risk assessments, treatment monitoring during follow-up care, and early detection of cancer recurrence, in principle for all types of tumors,” says Zsolt Balázs, co-first author of the study at the UZH Department of Quantitative Biomedicine.
By utilizing blood samples, this method circumvents the invasiveness associated with traditional tissue biopsies. The practicality of blood sampling simplifies hospital operations, reducing the need for numerous diagnostic interventions and minimizing patient wait times.
Personalized Treatment Approaches
The liquid biopsy method enhances the precision of determining tumor activity and spread, enabling the development of personalized therapies for patients. “We can see earlier and more quickly how much the cancer has spread in the body and how well a patient is responding to a specific treatment, or whether there will be a relapse,” Balázs adds.
In laboratory settings, researchers analyzed circulating gene fragments for DNA changes characteristic of specific cancers, focusing on alterations in fragment number and length distribution. “The liquid biopsy technique enables us to discriminate between biologically less and more aggressive metastatic cancer disease—perhaps even earlier than using imaging technology,” says co-first author Panagiotis Balermpas, a professor at the Department of Radiation Oncology at USZ.
Enhancing Patient Quality of Life
The method was tested on patients undergoing radiotherapy, including several HPV-positive patients. HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a known cancer-causing agent. Researchers observed tumor development by measuring HPV DNA fragment concentrations in the blood. For head and neck cancers, higher concentrations of HPV DNA indicated early signs of recurrence, suggesting a potential role for immunotherapy in such cases.
“The more a tumor metastasizes, the poorer the patient’s quality of life. This also applies to local recurrences that aren’t detected early. It is key that we individualize treatment as far as possible, taking into account the potential benefits of all therapies as well as their influence on the patient’s quality of life,” concludes Balermpas, who oversaw the treatment of patients with head and neck tumors in the study.
Original Publication
Longitudinal cell-free DNA characterization by low-coverage whole-genome sequencing in patients undergoing high-dose radiotherapy. Balázs, Zsolt et al. Radiotherapy and Oncology, Volume 197, 110364
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2024.110364